The present disclosure relates to wellbore liner systems incorporating expandable wellbore liners and to setting tools therefore.
An expandable wellbore liner is a type of wellbore liner that is intended to be radially, plastically deformed while in a wellbore. Such liners are often set in another tubular or against the interior wall of the wellbore by radially, plastically deforming the expandable liner into gripping and/or sealing engagement with the other tubular or the wall of the wellbore. For example, an expandable liner can be set near the foot of a casing and extend downhole into a wellbore, or hang other liners that extend downhole into the wellbore, to line an additional portion of the wellbore below the casing. In another example, an expandable liner can be set proximate a rupture, leak or otherwise weakened portion of a casing or liner as a repair measure to reinforce and/or seal the casing or liner.
Wellbore liners incorporating expandable liners are typically assembled to and carried into the wellbore on a setting tool. Thereafter, the setting tool is operated to radially, plastically expand the expandable liner. Due to the complexity of the setting tool, assembling the setting tool and assembling the expandable liner to the setting tool is a complex procedure involving many steps that must typically be performed in a certain sequence. If after assembly, a change is desired to be made to the setting tool or to the liner, the setting tool and liner must be disassembled in sequence (typically the reverse of the assembly sequence) to gain access to the aspect being changed. Because the assembly/disassembly must be performed in sequence, many aspects that are not affected by the change must still be disassembled to gain access to the aspect being changed and then reassembled.